Industrial Sites Fuse Efficiency and Security

For large compounds, disturbance-free operation is vital. Today's security systems adapt to individual needs, safeguarding personnel and property in a timely manner.

Large-area compounds take precautions based on their security priorities. "Military, embassy compounds and airports are the major users of wide-area security, and future growth depends on government funding and initiatives for expansion," said Blake Kozak, Market Analyst at IMS Research.

For commercial industrial parks, cost determines security uptake. Wide-area security is mostly used to support critical applications at valuable manufacturing sites, which represent no more than 15 percent of overall consumption, Kozak said.

"Demand for electronic security products and systems from the industrial sector is expected to increase 9.7 percent annually through 2012 to US$2.5 billion," said Jennifer Mapes,Industry Analyst at Freedonia Group. "Growth is largely driven by security spending at more sensitive industrial facilities, such as those that operate in aerospace, defense and utilities industries."

Sensitive FacilitiesSensitive industrial facilities vary, depending on their function and what they produce. Security equipment is deployed to address industryspecific challenges. For example, dust is a prime concern for high-tech manufacturing facilities, such as semiconductor foundries or pharmaceutical plants. Front-end security hardware must be designed as one entity that is physically seamless.

The primary focus of a security system is determined by the assets on-site, said Ivor Lane, Business Development Manager, Sphere Security. Most attended areas include fabrication facilities, production lines, equipment rooms, clean rooms and high-value storage areas. "In addition to being monitored by more than one systems, those areas will be connected to infrastructure via dedicated cables and provide power redundancy," Lane said.

"Considering many industrial establishments tend to be operated and staffed around the clock, limiting access by unauthorized employees is often a higher priority than preventing external theft or break-ins," explained Mapes. Driven by this priority, access control makes up the majority of security demand.

Surveillance cameras support a spectrum of applications. High-definition cameras help to monitor equipment — such as precision test gauges and pressure gauges — and allow time and motion studies to enhance production efficiency, said Dave Tynan, VP of Global Sales andMarketing, Avigilon.

Other applications include video training and inventory management. "In electronics manufacturing plants, cameras are set up at each workstation on the conveyor lines for security checks and quality control," said Shi Zhong Su, Section Manager at Genuine C&C. "The onboard software makes sure precision is achieved by comparing the barcode of components to the order list."

Security investments are geared toward safety enhancement. Streamlined emergency response can be established with RFID technology, such as people trackingduring large-scale evacuations. Card data can be integrated with LPR for further validation. "LPR could be used as a verification tool that helps to identify employees and speed up reaction time, preventing any unnecessary risk involved in locating missing employees in an emergency," Tynan said.

RFID and video analytics help with personnel management and behavior analysis, including tracking fabrication procedures for performance evaluation and ensuring staff are not working overtime. Additionally, an increasing share of security systems feature biometric controls to prevent time-clock fraud, as some employees punch in time cards for each other, Mapes added.

Any implementation of security factors in ROI, regardless of the technology. "One of the top challenges is to demonstrate a reliable security system can improve business operation and prevent loses," said Udi Segall, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Nice Systems. "Justifying the cost on a daily basis — by generating reports on the incidents that has been avoided — will help security officers establish their case and get funding to do projects right."